I think more directly, MJ had credited a number of breakdancers with showing him the move, once famously saying that he'd seen kids doing it in the street on the day of the Motown 25 taping. Back then, I think most breakdancers called it the "slide", but it certainly was a known practice even among contemporary dancers in 1983.

Wired ran a how to/interview with the Coolie Jaxson, who taught MJ how to moonwalk. (Anil you're quite close, he says they called it the backslide)
http://www.wired.com/video/how-to-moonwalk-like-mj/41882858001